Cognizance, IIT Roorkee

What Cognizance, IIT Roorkee does

Cognizance is the annual technical festival of IIT Roorkee, organized and operated by students of the institute since 2003. The 3-day event (Cognizance 2026 scheduled March 13–15, 2026) delivers a portfolio of over 50 competitive events and 15+ paid workshops spanning robotics combat (Armageddon in 8kg/15kg/30kg categories), RC aircraft and UAV competitions (FlightFury, Sky Maneuver), coding (International Coding Challenge), AI/hackathons (HiLabs' Agent-X, Spectral Bridge, Claw & Shield), business case studies (InnoWave, Bulls and Bears), and creative contests. The platform also operates a "Cognizance AI" website chatbot for navigation and runs a Campus Ambassador Program that reached 2,000+ student promoters in 2024, providing nationwide grassroots distribution into Indian colleges.

Revenue is collected primarily through one-time workshop fees (Rs. 698–Rs. 1,999 per workshop, with combo bundles up to Rs. 1,999) and event registration ticket purchases processed directly via cognizance.org.in. The festival is sponsored by 13+ industry partners — including Microsoft (Generative AI workshop), ISRO (aerospace and rocket modelling), HiLabs (Healthcare GenAI and Agent-X hackathon with internship/PPO pathway), GeeksforGeeks, CDSL, CRED, Autodesk, District by Zomato, NIFT, Agrob, Thrust Tech, CYNDIA, and ArmorIQ — which co-deliver content and provide brand and recruitment support. Marketing is conducted through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, plus the CA network and email campaigns.

The organization operates as a non-profit student initiative under the institutional umbrella of IIT Roorkee; no separate legal entity, equity, or external investors are disclosed. Auxiliary offerings include guest lectures, "pronite" entertainment performances (past performers: Jubin Nautiyal, Guru Randhawa, Zakir Khan, Amit Trivedi, KK, Papon, and others), and pre-placement/internship pipelines for top performers. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Cognizance, IIT Roorkee

Legal name

Cognizance2026

Website

https://cognizance.org.in

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cognizance, IIT Roorkee is a student-run annual technical festival delivering 50+ competitive events and 15+ paid workshops across robotics, AI, coding, fintech, and aerospace for college students across India, supported by a 2,000+ campus ambassador network and industry partners including Microsoft and ISRO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Festival / Student Competitions

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conference & Trade Show Registration Platforms (THAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Technical festival
• Student competitions
• Robotics championships
• Coding hackathons
• Skill workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Roorkee

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Registrations & Tickets: Participants purchase tickets and register for events through the website. The fest offers various passes including CLASSIC Pass for entry to events and workshops.
2. Workshop Fees: Revenue generated from paid workshops on topics including AI/ML, Fintech, UI/UX Design, Quadcopter building, AutoCAD, etc. ranging from Rs. 698 to Rs. 1999 per workshop.
3. Event Prize Pool: Total prize pool worth Rs. 6,00,000 for flagship events like Armageddon robotics championship, with additional prizes across 50+ competitive events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cognizance is the annual student-run technical festival of IIT Roorkee, offering paid registrations for 50+ competitive events (robotics, coding, AI hackathons, aviation, business case studies, creative arts) and 15+ paid workshops led by industry partners such as Microsoft, ISRO, CDSL, GeeksforGeeks, CRED, and Autodesk. The festival runs for 3 days at the IIT Roorkee campus and includes a flagship Armageddon combat robotics championship with a Rs. 6,00,000 prize pool.

Product overview

Cognizance is the annual technical festival of IIT Roorkee featuring a diverse portfolio of events and workshops. The core offering includes competitive events across robotics (Armageddon, Super Strikers, Plasma Pull, Crawl-o-tron), aviation (FlightFury, Sky Maneuver), coding (International Coding Challenge, Codify Rumble), AI/hackathons (HiLabs' Agent-X AI, Spectral Bridge, Claw & Shield, BitByBit), and business case studies (InnoWave, Bulls and Bears). Supporting workshops cover domains including Healthcare GenAI, UI/UX Design, Generative AI (Microsoft partnership), Quadcopter/Rocket Modelling, Fintech, DSA (GeeksforGeeks partnership), and Ethical Hacking. The platform also operates a Campus Ambassador Program for student outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Armageddon Combat robotics championship in which teams design, build, and battle custom-engineered robots in 8kg, 15kg, and 30kg weight categories. Targeted at student robotics teams and technical enthusiasts competing for the Rs. 6,00,000 prize pool.
• FlightFury RC aircraft design and piloting competition where participants fabricate high-performance flying machines and demonstrate aerodynamics, propulsion, and control systems. For student aviation enthusiasts and engineering teams.
• Sky Maneuver Aerial robotics competition focused on UAV deployment for disaster recovery and urban optimization, featuring autonomous monitoring missions. For student teams interested in drone technology and autonomous systems.
• International Coding Challenge

Quantifiable outcome

• 2000+ Campus Ambassadors in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• HiLabscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026HiLabs partnered for Healthcare GenAI workshop focusing on Evals & Reliability. Additionally, HiLabs' Agent-X AI hackathon event offers participants opportunity for Summer internships and Pre-placement offers (PPOs).
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026Microsoft partnered for Generative AI workshop at Cognizance 2026, providing expertise and potentially offering internship opportunities to high-performing participants.
• GeeksforGeeks (GFG)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026GeeksforGeeks partnered for Data Structures and Algorithms workshop, providing technical content and industry recognition for participants.
• AutodeskcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026Autodesk partnered for AutoCAD workshop, providing software training and certification for advanced design models.
• CDSL (Central Depository Services Limited)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026CDSL partnered for Investment in Capital Markets workshop, providing expertise in financial markets and depository services.
• ISROflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026ISRO partnered as a workshop sponsor, bringing aerospace expertise to participants interested in space technology and rocket modeling.
• CREDcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026CRED partnered for Fintech & Digital Payments workshop, providing industry insights into financial technology and payments.
• District by ZomatocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026District by Zomato partnered for UI/UX Design workshop, providing design expertise and industry perspective on user experience.
• NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026NIFT partnered for Fashion Design workshop, providing fashion industry expertise and design education.
• Thrust TechcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026Thrust Tech partnered for Rocket Modelling workshop, providing aerospace engineering expertise and hands-on rocket building experience.
• AgrobcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026Agrob partnered for Quadcopter workshop, providing drone technology expertise and hands-on UAV building experience.
• CYNDIAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026CYNDIA partnered for Ethical Hacking workshop, providing cybersecurity expertise and hands-on ethical hacking training.
• ArmorIQcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026ArmorIQ partnered for CLAW & SHIELD - 36-Hour AI Security Hackathon on Intent-First Trust Layers, focusing on building secure autonomous AI systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete): Indian platform aggregating college competitions, hackathons, and fests — serves the same student persona Cognizance targets and is increasingly an alternative channel for technical events.
• GeeksforGeeks: Cognizance's DSA workshop partner and a major online platform for coding/tech education in India — comparable in audience overlap (tech-curious college students) though business model differs.

Direct peers

• Techfest (IIT Bombay): Premier annual technical festival of IIT Bombay featuring robotics, coding, and industry workshops — the closest direct peer to Cognizance given similar scale, IIT brand leverage, and competition/workshop portfolio.
• Tryst (IIT Delhi): IIT Delhi's annual technical festival — directly comparable in scale and event mix to Cognizance, competing for the same national student audience and corporate sponsors.
• Pravega (IISc Bangalore): IISc Bangalore's annual technical fest featuring robotics competitions and technical workshops — another premier-institute fest directly comparable to Cognizance in format and audience.
• Shaastra (IIT Madras): IIT Madras's annual technical fest with similar robotics and workshop offerings; directly competes with Cognizance for campus ambassadors, sponsors, and student attendees across India.
• Kshitij (IIT Kharagpur): IIT Kharagpur's annual techno-management fest — comparable multi-event format spanning robotics, coding, and business case studies; competes with Cognizance for sponsors and student participation.
• Festember (NIT Trichy): NIT Trichy's flagship cultural-technical festival offering robotics, coding, and workshops — a peer in the national collegiate fest landscape targeting similar demographics.

Regional players

• Antaragni (IIT Kanpur): IIT Kanpur's annual cultural and technical fest — comparable in audience and scale, but with a stronger cultural/arts focus; partially overlaps with Cognizance on technical events.
• Engineer (NIT Surathkal / NITK): Annual technical fest of NIT Karnataka — a comparable institution-level tech fest in southern India that overlaps with Cognizance on robotics and coding competitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cogni_iitr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/cognizanceiitr
• Facebookfacebook.com/cogni_iitr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cognizance-iit-roorkee
• Instagraminstagram.com/cogni_iitr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cognizance, IIT Roorkee